The Avengers Boot Camp
by Pekenota14
Summary: Nick Fury 'owns' a floor of an abandoned hotel where seven talented kids shelter after all having escape home each for their reasons. In each chapter the kids learn a lesson that will make them be better...well, superheroes. Kid!Avengers, all characters. (Last) Chapter 9 update (Features: sweet Clintasha, science bros friendship, Loki/Thor brotherhood, Phil/Steve friendship)
1. Prologue

**It starts up with more narrative, but there's dialogue towards the end of the chapter. Don't give up until then, it's a prologue, it's essential you know these stuff.**

**Read, review, favorite and enjoy, that's the best I can ask for.**

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Anthony "Tony" Stark was the first arrival to the uninhabited hotel. At the age of eleven he had been through too much already. He was once the son of a very important inventor. His father built weapons for the US military, but behind his heroic facade, Howard was an alcoholic who had a strained relationship with his son. His mother was unsuccessful to prevent Tony from seeing that cold side of his own father. A couple of years back they tragically died in a car accident. But the biggest tragedy was yet to be found. The car accident was orchestrated by the friend's family, and the man would be Tony's tutor later, Stane. He was arrested after attempting to kill the little Stark (whose death he'd later try to cover up as accidental) so he could take over the Stark business, which eventually bankrupt. Family friends nicknamed Tony as 'Iron Kid' because he was emotionally strong to cope with all he had been through. But they also nicknamed like that because Howard used to tell his son that to be the best, he must have "iron in his backbones", but that's a reason Tony despises due to the little his father meant to him. Tony was being tutored by another family's friend who decided to enroll him on a school abroad. They still believe he's abroad but they don't know he ran away from the airport and has been in New York on his own ever since.

Steven "Steve" Rogers, age nine, was the big talk across the small town where he lived. He was the only child of two American militaries. His father serving for the Air Force and his mother as a Marine, both of them die in the line of action within a short period of time. At his mother's funeral (the last of parents to decease) one of his neighbors tried to cheer him up and called him Little Captain. From that on, all around the town, he was referred as 'Captain America' due to that playful nickname and because of his parents' services and the fact that both of them were devoted to the US government and its people. Steve didn't have any other close family and was put on the adoption system. It didn't take long for Nick Fury to 'capture' him for his 'boot camp'.

Clinton "Clint" Barton, also nine-years-old, was a different story and didn't go through such traumatic experiences has his other fellow friends. Well, not quite, but at least not so disturbing. His mother died during labor, so he never really met her. He lived with his father in a wooden house nearby the forest. He and his father were very close and never had any problems. Clint was a very wild kid, very in touch with nature and used to go play in the deep woods. His father used to call him Hawkeye because of that. Sometimes he'd take with him his bow and arrows. In the weekends he'd go animal hunting with his father until the day he believed to be experienced enough to do it alone. When he walked closer to check what he had hit with his arrow, he ran away as fast as he could all the way back home. He had hit a man in the back of his head. His father tried to cover up his son accident but the Forest Police caught him red-handed. Clint waited for his father to come home but he never did and nobody knew that that man had a son. He went to look for him in the forest and after weeks of surviving the way his father taught him to, he returned home, finding a note his father had left hidden before going to get rid of the dead man. There was an address written down and Clint needed to go there. After days of wandering in the city, he found that abandoned hotel. Fury was an old friend of his father and he'd keep an eye on him.

Natasha Romanoff grew up in the cold Russia land. Daughter of an American father and a Russian mother, Natasha learnt from a very young age to speak both Russian and English. After her father death due to a long-term disease, she and her mother left to the States. With little money, her mother was a hitman by night. She was known as the Black Widow, nickname that was given to her daughter too. Fearing for her daughter's safety, she decided to abandon her in New York and leave for another city. The girl, at the age of nine now, naturally found her way to the abandoned hotel, place she has been staying ever since.

Robert Bruce Banner, the youngest of the group being seven-years-old, luckily didn't witness an event that could scar him for life (more than he already his scarred). His father was a brilliant scientist who deeply loved his wife but never wanted children. The fact is that Bruce was born and so all the troubles began. Rebecca loved their son but Brian always believed his son had genetic defect due (to an accident he had caused years back when he overload a nuclear machine) and so he repulsed him and felt jealous towards him because he was an object of affection for Rebecca. He used to beat him and his wife whenever he was drunk and one night, when Rebecca attempt to run away with Bruce, he caught them. Rebecca told her son to run away and never stop. He cried but did so. Behind he left his mother that was murdered in the hands of his own father. Brian would eventually be dragged to a mental institution where he's still hospitalized, and no-one ever suspected that there was a child. The doctor's believe that when Brian talks about it, it's just delusional. Nick Fury found the kid on the corner of the street, cold, hungry but solving a Rubik's Cube with rather easiness. He could tell that the young kid, of five of age at that time, was special.

Thor Odinson, age eleven and a half, and his brother Loki, age six, are the last ones to arrive to the abandoned Hotel Sterling. Looking at those two, anyone can clearly notice which one is the adopted one. The oldest brings the youngest one by hand, willing to protect him from all dangers. The youngest one, as it happens to some foster kids, was somehow rebelled and didn't feel fit in his new family. Their mother fell into a severe depression and passed away. The family man never forgave his foster kid for leading his beloved wife to such tragic ending, so he planned on returning him. Thor didn't let him and always stuck to his little brother. The eleven-year-old said he'd run away with him if he ever mentioned returning Loki again. His father didn't give him an answer and so the two departure; the man didn't care if they were leaving home. He felt anger towards the adopted one and disappointed by his blood son.

Tired of walking for endless days without eating and with little sleeping, always holding tight to his brother's hand, Thor felt tired at last. He and Loki both looked up at the magnificence of the abandoned hotel right in the heart of Manhattan. A ten-story building that for them seemed to touch the sky was before their eyes.

A façade in brownish stone made it impossible to foresee what was the luxury of the interior of the hotel, which was now degraded and was made the home for the homeless, the drug addicts, and particularly the -1 floor, which was the floor of Nick Fury and his, so far, five talented kids.

Thor led his brother with careful and attentive steps towards the stairwell that once headed to the lobby of the hotel.

"What's your name, son?"

Thor got his breath caught and turned around slowly. A tall man dressed all in black with an eye patch on his right eye made him shake, but he answered fearlessly despite his heart being uncontrollably pounding in his chest.

"I'm Thor, and this is my brother Loki. We need a place where to sleep and something to eat."

"Uhm, floor -1 then. Follow me." He said, turning his back at them, hoping they'd follow him. "I'm Nick Fury, by the way."

"Mr. Fury, you hurt my brother and I hurt you back."

Fury chuckled as he crossed his arms behind his back and continued to walk. "Follow me."

Thor told his brother in low voice as they followed Fury. "If I tell you to run, you run and don't look back, understood?"

"What about you?"

"Just. Run. Now repeat what I just asked you."

Loki looked his brother, repeating. "If you tell me to run, I just run and don't look back."

When they made their way to the only floor below the ground, it was like heaven on Earth for any child. It was a theater. There were ropes hanging from the ceiling and boxes above the stage that they could use to go across the room, the stairs were almost like slides made out of cardboxes and on the stage there were five mattresses on the floor and its respective blankets.

Fury got an arrow in its mid-flight and spoke. "Quit throwing arrows, Clint. The walls don't need more holes."

Clint jumped from one of the stage boxes and hung on one of the ropes and then let go, falling on his feet. He walked to Fury that retrieved him his arrow and then he ran away after being slapped in the nape.

Fury pulled out of a bank note from his pocket and shouted. "Captain!"

Steve appeared running from the backstage, and with a big boost he jumped and landed almost half the way across the room. When the kid was in front of him, Fury gave him the money and said. "Buy a pizza and two sodas."

Tony, who was lying down on the chairs of the arena, sat up and complained. "How come Cap gets to have a pizza and soda?"

"Stark," Nick said with a firm tone of voice. "learn to observe first and comment afterwards. Nat!" He yelled again, waiting for the girl to show up.

"Natasha isn't here." Tony spoke back, having just lied down again. "She's doing business."

"Then move your lazy ass and go upstairs. Get two mattresses and two blankets."

Tony sighed deeply and walked all the upstairs.

Fury started going down the stairs, saying. "Here are the ground rules: one, I'm in charge. Two, you do what I say, not what pleases you. Three, you learn from me. Four, we live in a democracy here. Fi-"

"We learn from you what exactly?" Thor asked.

"Anything you need to know. You don't go to school you learn stuff from me then." He answered, turning around. "Five," He restarted. "make yourself at home, we're not that many."

"Who are they? And why are they here?"

"Same reasons as you two are here. You've got nowhere to live and you have a great potential to prosper in life. It's up to me to help you find your paths."

Clint (tried to) ran past Nick but he got hold of him by his jacket. "Calm down yourself, will you, Clint? Where's Bruce?"

"Off with Nat. They should be coming back soon."

"Clint," Tony called as he ran into the theater again. "Come and help me. The junkies are holding tight to the stuff!"

When the two kids ran off the theater, Fury looked back and said. "Oh, almost forgot. Rule number six, this floor is ours and it's safe. You don't go to any other floor unless I tell you so. Understood?"

"I don't know why you're bothering telling us this." Thor spoke as Nick was walking off. "We're not staying."

"You're not staying, you're not eating."

Loki looked at his brother, saying almost in a cry. "I'm really hungry, Thor."

Thor rolled his eyes and let go off Loki's hand. "I guess we're staying then."

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**If the idea goes onward, here are the ideas I have for the next chapter:**

**Chap. 2- Free food mission. – Lesson learnt: Have the initiative but work as a team, it pays off. (Main character of the chapter: Nat)**

**Chap. 3 - Loki, King of -1 floor. - Lesson learnt: Boastfulness doesn't fit in the team dynamics. (Main character of the chapter: Loki)**


	2. Free Food Mission

**I didn't mean to take this much time, but college occupies too much of my time.**

**Hope you guys enjoy it. It's a chapter centered on Natasha (and with Clint too).**

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_Have the initiative but work as a team, it pays off._

"Hey, Tony," Steve called out as soon as he entered the theater. "look what I found." He presented him an old radio that didn't work. "Can you fix it? Maybe we could listen to the Super bowl games."

Tony grabbed the radio and examined it for a little. His eyebrows arched and his mouth twitched a little as he inspected that old and damaged electronic apparatus.

"Yeah, I think it has a fix. I have to tear it apart and check the internal circuits, maybe-"

"Don't explain it." Steve asked. "Just do what you've gotta do."

Natasha walked in the theater with a disquieting expression mirrored on her eyes. "What is Nat?"

"The junkies and homeless upstairs are getting food again and we just have to go pickpocketing to eat. It ain't fair! We're running out of food in here."

For a while, silence settled on the theater so they could listen to the movement upstairs. Social services and charity organizations were giving food away to those who live upstairs, and since no-one knows (and can't ever know) that those kids live on the floor below, they don't get any food. From the little thefts and con acts they do on the streets, they earn money for food and other stuff they may need. Nick doesn't explore them unlike others who demand the kids to hand over the money they make.

Natasha sat on one of the chairs of the parterre and sighed, folding her arms over her chest, feeling bored. Tony was in his own world with his tools and that old radio Steve found on a trash can nearby. Loki and Bruce played freely around the theater, running and jumping around, playing tag. As the other boys arrived one by one their curiosity was driven to that little and apparently so interesting and precious radio. They all sat near Tony, waiting for him to fix it.

After a while, the boys were shouting at the radio as it only emitted a couple of sounds and they couldn't listen to a complete sentence of the sports announcer commenting on the game.

"I'm gonna steal it from them." Natasha's voice broke in the air, breaching through Loki and Bruce's hullabaloo and the other boys' shouts.

"Nick said we can't go to any other floor unless he asks us to." Thor told her.

"Oh, what do you know?" She snapped, getting up. "You've only been here for a couple of weeks!"

Thor, Steve, Tony and Clint looked at each other and almost at the same time they shrugged and turned their attention to the little radio again.

Natasha walked carefully upstairs. She avoided stepping on the steps that let out a cracking sound, and almost tiptoeing she quickly found herself on the first floor of the abandoned hotel. After looking here and there, she started walking more comfortably. Very next to what appeared to be a collapsed man she found a bag with food. Carefully she snatched it from him and ran back to the theater.

Puffing, she placed the bag she had stolen on the stage and stopped to breath. Her heart pumping fast and the adrenaline of scare and excitement of having had such thing was still in her system. But she wasn't satisfied. Perhaps, snatching one more or two. It was too easy and she was beyond bored. The more she could steal, the more food they'd have.

Natasha succeeded on a second snatch. But the third one didn't go as planned. She ran as fast to the theater, but didn't enter. When she passed by the door, she eyed the boys in there. Only one set her eyes on her and realized something was wrong.

Clint got up and quietly walked to her who was ducked on the corner outside the theater.

"Hey. What's the matter?"

"Go away." She said, holding her left arm close to her chest. "Go listen to your stupid game and leave me alone."

"Why are you so angry at me all the sudden?"

"It's nothing, go away." She yelled as got up and she clutched her arm closer to her chest, hiding it from Clint's sight.

"Tasha," He spoke softly, kneeling down. "what happened upstairs?"

The girl, who they have never recognized a weak moment, looked up at her best friend with tears in her eyes. Natasha's voice broke almost into a cry. "A guy stung me with a needle." She finally revealed her arm. She was holding so tight to it that the needle was still stuck in her skin. "Nick said all about the needles and-and the diseases. Go away, Barton, I don't want you to get sick too."

Natasha was now in tears and Clint was helpless, looking at her. He had never seen her like that. So he hugged her, it was the best he could think of at the moment. She tried to break free of his hug but he clenched her so tight that she ended up crying on his shoulder, scared.

"Stay here." He whispered in her ear and left out the hotel, running.

He ran until his legs went numb, until his all strengths were gone. He ran to meet Nick Fury. They only look for him there when there's a problem, and now was the right time to meet him.

Nick Fury walked in a quick pace, and Clint, completely exhausted, tried to keep up with his rhythm. The man asked the kid to lead him to Natasha and then told him to go away, but he didn't move an inch. She was no longer crying, which was something good, but still Clint didn't walk away on her.

Fury ducked, being at the same eye level as Natasha. "Can I see the needle? Clint told me you still had it." The needle was still stung in her arm and she pulled it and showed it to Nick. After carefully looking at it, he said. "It's a new needle. Never used. You're alright. Now, Barton, could you meet with the others? I want to have a word with Natasha alone."

Clint shook his head. "Isn't she okay? You just said she's okay! Why do you need-"

"And she is alright. I just want to know how come she got a needle in her arm. Now go."

"Go Clint," Natasha told him with a head nod. "it's okay."

The boy, very reluctantly, entered the theater, peering over his shoulder on his way inside. When he was out of their sight, Nick kicked off. "I thought I had made it clear about going upstairs."

"You did, but… they were being given food that they spoil and don't want. And we need it."

"Alright, I understand your point." It didn't matter how much effort Nick would put on his lecture. Natasha was the only girl, so the only person he'd scold softer. "But why going alone? As far as I've ever seen, at least Clint goes anywhere with you."

"Yeah, but he didn't. And no one else wanted to go. My father used to say 'When the others won't do it, do it yourself'."

"But not about these kinds of stuff. If this happens again with either of you, I won't be this mild. Understood?"

"Yes." She said, slightly lowering her head.

"Now go in there and eat." He told her, walking out of the hotel.

Natasha entered the theater. A calmer expression lighted her face and she smiled when her eyes met Clint's. They were all having dinner. He signaled her with the head for her to take a seat next to them.

"What did Nick say?" He asked in a low voice.

"He just scolded me for having gone upstairs. Nothing else. And listen, Clint… me having cried-"

"I've never seen you cry." He stated.

Her lips curved on a smile and the two of them never spoke about it again. It was a secret just between those two. One secret among many.

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**Next chapter has changed. It's now about Bruce, and it's called "Heartbeat".**

**Leave a review on this one. I know I have readers and followers, so commentaries would be much appreciated.**

**Oh, btw, this fanfiction will feature a chapter for each character (so, seven) and a last chapter, the epilogue. **


	3. Heartbeat

**I loved writing this one and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

**Leave a review, they are precious to a writer...**

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_Yesterday's weaknesses are today's strengths_

Steve had just returned from some pickpockets on the streets, happily counting the money it had earned him when he saw the cops nearby. He hid first, and once he found it safe, he ran to the abandoned hotel and made his way down to the -1 floor.

"Quick, hid all the stuff. There's cops on the corners and they gonna come here."

In a quick frenzy Natasha and Loki immediately started hiding pillows, blankets, food they had and their personal belongings, hiding them in a hinged trapdoor, flush with the surface of a floor. Tony, Thor and Clint dragged the mattresses out of the stage to the backstage where they'd find a good place to hide them.

Once Natasha and Loki were done hiding their stuff on the trapdoor, the two ran to meet the others in the backstage. They found each other in no time and quickly agreed that they'd split up after leaving through the hotel's door.

"They're coming." Clint said anxiously in a low tone of voice. His eyes closed, sensing quiet steps walking closer and closer, steps that no-one else could listen so far.

After Clint's words, they all started running but were more advanced than poor Loki, trying to catch up with them. Steve stood behind upon noticing that Thor was just running away, confused (this of running from police was new to him) and completely forgotten about his little brother. He grabbed Loki by the waist and carried him in arms, running slower, but still faster than what Loki had been running.

Once they were out of the door, Loki realized he had lost his brother and was looking around like a maniac. Steve exited the building, put the kid back on his feet and after a quick head nod, he disappeared around the corner. Thor grasped his brother hand and forced him to run at his pace.

Bruce returned to the hotel. Having entered by the back door, he was far from suspecting that the police was there. He had 20 dollars in his pocket, a smile on his face and his stomach was somewhat full. It had been quite a productive day of stealing coins from beggars and picking up food from fruit stalls. He heard many voices coming from the theater and quickly knew that that wasn't any good. He stopped by the door and quietly peered. NYPD agents were in there, rummaging through everything.

He need to get out of the there.

Bruce wanted to exit out of the main door when he heard people making their way down. They were upstairs too, so he couldn't leave. And if he couldn't leave it only meant he had to hide. And he was an expert on that. He was used to hide from his father when he wanted to beat him up, so hiding from (apparently) harmless NYPD agents would be a bit easier. Still, they were too many so he needed a good hiding place.

Firstly, he hid under a card box abandoned on the hallway. He was balled up, listening to the strong footsteps of agents passing by the box, completely unaware of him underneath it. When there was no noise of movement, he carefully lifted up the box and examined the hallway. He was just feet away from the theater's entrance, where dozens of agents were. Bruce smartly crawled by the shadows of the hallway, having one goal in mind: slide down the laundry chute.

He was just about to climb inside it when he heard more police officers coming and so he hid the elevator. But he couldn't hide in there for much long. It was old and out of service elevator, shaky, and one abrupt movement could end up on crashing the elevator cabin on the bottom of the shaft. Not to mention that the door was a collapsible door and they'd notice him in short time.

"Let's take a look over here." A man's voice spoke, coming closer to the elevator.

His steps were coming closer. Bruce's heart was untamed, pounding fast and hard on his chest. His chubby hand covered his mouth so that he could hold his troubled breathing in his mouth. He gasped, distressed as memories from his childhood came to his mind.

"_Bruce!" _He heard his father's drunken yell.

The little boy shook like a leaf on the wind and he quietly yelped. Bruce's eyes filled with tears as flashes of his father's angry figure haunted his mind. He gripped his hand tighter around his mouth, terrified by the delusions of his raged father.

Bruce squeezed himself even more to the corner of the elevator, standing on the tip of his toes, as the steps were closer and closer.

"Oh, come on, Mike," Another man said. "we're nearly at the end of the hallway. Who'd be the idiot to hide in there?"

Bruce let out a relieved sigh when he heard the rubber outsoles squeaking, rubbed against the tile floor, as the man swirled on his heels and walked away.

Fearfully he put his head out of the elevator and peered. Seeing no-one near, he left his hiding place and walked to the laundry chute. He hurried in opening it and jumped to reach to climb it up. His legs wiggled on the air because the laundry chute was built-in a rather high place of the wall. He didn't have time to shut the metal door because he immediately started sliding down the duct.

Luckily he didn't fell on his face when he dropped at the laundry on the floor below, but he did staggered a lot to not fall down, all due to the excessive force he had to exercise over his legs to cushion the fall. He was ready to fall on his feet because he knew he wouldn't have laundry to fall over as he had seen in many movies on the TV.

He found himself at the old laundry on the basement. It was all dark, filled with spider webs everywhere. There wasn't anywhere to go. The division that shared walls with the laundry was the pantry where he knows many insects live and where there's nothing now. There was, although, an internal staircase that led to the floors upstairs, which he'd have to use.

He opened the heavy metal door, worn out by the time and lack of use. Before him, two flights of stairs without any light. All the darkness and absolute silence scared him and awakened in him deep fears.

Bruce breathed in and started running upstairs, terrified, feeling to be chased. Eventually the fear crushed him. His legs failed and he fell on the stairs' platform. His face hit the ground and he couldn't get up anymore, weakened by frightening noises and ghosts that his mind saw floating to him and penetrating his body. His heart pounded uncontrollably and he whimpered, scared.

He knew there was nothing there, but his childhood fears were making him picture horrific things. He heard his father's voice, his mother's screams, things being shattered during a heated fight. He could picture before his eyes the drunken and raged image of his father walking to him. Even all those ghosts and characters from horror movies were coming to his mind.

He balled up and cried until he realized that all that was surrounding him was darkness, silence and coldness. There were no demons or ghosts, no creepy voices. It was all just a product of his imagination.

Bruce got up, at last. Firstly he was up on his knees but then back on his feet. He wiped away the tears and snot to the shirt's sleeve and continued to climb upstairs. Every once in a while a sob came out of his mouth, uncontrollably, making his not-yet recovered body shiver.

By that time, the police was exiting the building, taking with them some junkies and homeless that were too slow to hide. The police knew that there might be kids living in that abandoned hotel, but they didn't find any and New York needed them for to solve more important problems other than to be chasing after homeless kids.

Bruce arrived just in time to the theater. All the drug addicts and homeless were rummaging through everything, hoping to find something that they could steal from the kids, to sell or keep.

"Hey!" The kid shouted at the top of his lungs. "What are you doing?" Bruce ran to them, worthlessly trying to stop them. "Hey, that's ours!"

No one paid attention to that miniature of human being. But they did paid attention to someone else.

"No-one leaves until I say so." All the junkies and homeless stopped upon listening to Fury's ear-piercing and roaring voice.

"Nick!" Bruce shouted relieved, running to him, hiding behind him.

Once Nick Fury knew that the abandoned hotel was being searched by the police, he immediately made his way to there. Someone had to tip off the cops or else they wouldn't have conducted a search. Fury watched from afar and once the police left, he entered the building. He was sure none of the kids were there, but he knew that the others that live in that building would soon start going through their stuff to take them away.

Fury pulled him by the arm, taking a good look of his face. "Which one of them hit you?" He asked mad, noticing Bruce's red cheek.

"No-one."

"You don't have to be afraid of telling me. Which one was?"

"You told me to never stomach anyone hitting me again. No-one hit me, and no-one ever will."

Nick let out a slight sigh and said. "Damn right, kid. Now," He raised his look at the others there. "who call the cops in here?"

None of them spoke a single word. That upset Fury even more. He pulled out of his gun from the holster and pointed at them.

"Whoa, dude, put it down!" A middle-aged guy said, raising his hands, visibly stoned.

"Who called the cops?" Fury repeated his question, emphasizing almost every word.

"It must have been The Bulldog. Now," The woman continued. "just put that thing down, man. We ain't nothin' to do with him!"

"Who's The Bulldog?"

"Frankie Basque. He was pretty pissed about ya girl havin' steal his food."

Now Fury was getting even more heated. "Was he the one who stung her with syringe?"

"I dunno man. Just let us go!"

Fury put his back in the holster and left the warning. "Any of you mess with any of my kids again and I fucking put a bullet in your head. Now, all of you, leave everything you've picked and leave."

Upon that order, each and every person walked away, cursing Fury in a low voice.

"Now," Nick said, placing his hand over Bruce's shoulder. "how about I pay you something to eat? The others won't come back until the night fall."

"Uhm, I rather stay here, Nick. I've gotta guard our stuff."

"You're sure you'll be fine here on your own?"

"Yes. I'm a big man."

Fury chuckled. "You're a big _young_ man." He ruffled his hair. "See you then, big man."

"Bye."

All thanks to Tony they had light in the theater. He managed to catch hold of the city's public electricity system and deviate some power electricity to the theater, so Bruce wasn't scared of staying there all alone. He entertained himself putting everything back on its place.

When, one after one, the kids returned to the hotel, had the night already fallen over the city, they found their stuff put back on their right place and Bruce peacefully sleeping on his mattress, wrapped on his blanket.

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**On upcoming chapters: the fourth is about Loki, the fifth about Steve and the sixth about Clint.**

**Hope to have readers.**


	4. Loki, King of -1 floor

**I loved writing this one chapter (as I loved each one before, but yeah... xD)**

**Hope you guys like it. Leave a review.**

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_Boastfulness doesn't fit in the team's dynamic_

There were only two in the theater, Tony, who was working around with his inventions, and Loki, sitting cross legged on the floor right in the middle of the stage. Loki had his arms crossed over his chest and was expressionless, yet he was always trying to take a peek of what Tony was doing.

Loki had reached quite a phase. For the last week, he'd walk around the theater, wearing a blanket cape, claiming to be King. At first, the others thought it was adorable and did not mind, but soon Loki' actions grew into superfluous boastfulness, tantrums and misbehaving. They were starting to get upset by his actions and his lack of respect towards the others. Loki didn't feel fitted in among the others and was starting to behave like he did months after being adopted by the Odinson's. So, as a protest for being ignored and poked fun for being young and small, he promised to sit right in the middle of the theater and not move until people would treat him well. If he only realized that he was not treating the others the way he wanted to be treated…

"I tip my hat to you, kid," Tony acknowledged. "no," He then fixed his saying because Loki was starting to smirk. "not because of acknowledging you as a King. It's just, you did say you would stay sitting there and it has been 20 minutes and you still haven't moved. If it was me, I think I wouldn't even last 5 minutes. I think I have ADHD or something."

"You have what?" Loki asked, bewilder by such acronym.

"Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD." Tony explained. "I can't be still for too long."

Loki shrugged and asked him. "Where are the others?"

"Uhm, I've got no clue where is your brother. Neither about Natasha and Clint. I just know that Steve took Bruce to the Public Library to help him with the reading issues. By the way, you should have taken that trip too; it's time for you to start reading more than packaging labels."

"I don't need that, I do what I want!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tony said on a breath. "we've heard plenty of that this past week."

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, so now you're interested…"

Tony didn't say anything else, believing that Loki would stay faithful to his promise and not move around. But that was when he heard a loud muffled noise, and Loki's scream of pain. When he looked back he found him, lying on the floor, holding tightly to his right leg, having tripped on Tony's tools scattered all over the stage.

Tony promptly knelt and tried to help the little boy. "Can you move your leg?"

Loki whimpered, stretching his leg. His eyes were full of tears, wanting to rush down his face. "I guess I can."

Tony then squeezed his knee, to which he was hold on to. "Does it hu-"

"Ouch!" Loki yelled, slapping Tony's hand.

"Alright, good news is, it's not broken, but it will probably swell up. I'm gonna get you some ice, stay where you are."

Tony left running and came back a while later with two ice cubes on a plastic bag. "Ok, here you have, rub it on your knee." Just when Loki placed the ice on his knee, Tony realized something. "Wait, we need to wrap the bag around something or else it will give you'll get a burn."

"No!" Loki yelled and crawled back when Tony tried to undo the blanket tied on knot on his neck.

"Really, kid, this is starting to upset me, and I'm not the kind of guy who gets upset easily. This is for your own good."

"But not my cape!"

"It's a blanket, for Christ's sake! Not to mention it is my blanket!" Tony sighed and grabbed a cloth that was on the floor, wrapped the ice on it and then put it over Loki's knee. "When your brother gets here, he'll have a talk with you. This is getting off limits, imp."

"Then stop calling me those things!"

Tony gathered his tools and the two radio control cars he was working on. "Dare you to move your ass from there." He threatened. "And if you do, you better fall down, so that you learn to behave properly."

Thor arrived a while later. Loki was beyond bored, sitting on that floor, feeling his knee aching, noticing its swelling.

"Thor!" He greeted him happy.

The older boy immediately sensed something was wrong. "What's going on? You're not usually this enthusiastic." As he walked closer, he had a look of his brother's leg. "What happened to you?"

"I tripped over Tony's stupid tools." He mumbled, victimizing himself.

"Did you really?" Thor asked suspicious.

"Yes!" Loki yelled at top of his lungs, near tears. "I did stumble because of Stark's stupid stuff. You're doubting me?"

"Calm down, brother, I was just asking you." Thor sat down next to him and pulled him to his lap. "Tell me what's going on. You haven't been at your best behavior lately."

"They all bash me because I'm young and little and I don't like it. I don't like them and they don't like me. No-one likes me."

"And that's why you've been throwing all these tantrums?" Loki looked down and didn't say anything. "Hey, look at me. You can tell me anything, I'm your brother."

"Where did you go?"

"I went home." Loki immediately raised his eyes and stared his brother. "I went to ask dad if we could go back home… He said he'd only take me and I'd have to leave you behind."

"See? No-one likes me!"

"Hey, I'm here, are not I? I care about you, and from now on, we only have each other and if you don't trust me, then it'll be harder to look after you. But I won't give up, Loki. If I didn't care about you, you'd be back at the orphanage again. I didn't want to stay here at first. It was supposed to be just a temporary thing, I had hopes dad would takes us back, but now I guess we're staying for good. So you better understand that you need to treat people the way you want them to treat you. And you're apologizing to all of them once they come back."

"No, I won't! They'll keep on calling me things that I don't like."

"Then it's exactly that you'll tell them. Tell them that you're sorry but that they have to stop with those jokes because you don't like it. You have to be a big boy, Loki. I've got some money hidden and we'll buy them something warm and decent to eat as a way for your apologies. It has been over a week since we eat something proper."

Thor picked up his brother in arms and rummaged through his stuff, picking up the money he had hidden. The two left to buy a warm meal for all of them. When they walked back to the theater, the others were there already. Loki climbed up the steps to the stage and stopped, looking at his brother.

"Loki has something to tell you guys, please listen to him."

Thor nodded his head, giving reassurance to his brother. Loki breathed thoroughly and spoke. "I'm… sorry, for my behavior lately, but," He made sure to reinforce it with a stronger tone of voice. "I'm only apologizing if you guys promise to stop with those jokes. I don't like them."

"We're sorry, Loki." Steve said. "We were not poking fun at you, we were just being playful. We do it to Bruce all the time."

"Yeah, but I don't like it."

"Alright, we got it, monkey." Tony spoke and immediately got fired multiple reproving glares.

"You gotta apologize Tony," Steve excused his friend. "he's a human-shaped asshole. It's the way he is."

"It's gonna take me some time, alright?" Tony walked to Loki. "But I will try to stop calling you these kinds of things, alright?" He offered his hand, requesting a high-five, which Loki conceded him. "I just don't understand why you get so upset about me calling you little and-"

"It's because of the orphanage." Steve sensibly spoke. "The kids used to make fun of him in there, that's why he doesn't like it."

"How did you know?" Loki asked, on an unembarrassed confession that no-one knew about, not even Thor.

"I've been on an orphanage myself. I know how it's like."

Loki untied the blanket that was still tied on his neck and dropped it on the floor, claiming. "I don't wanna be king anymore. It's too tiring."

"Well, uhm," Thor cleared his throat as he stepped closer. "I have something to apologize for too. This of living here, I thought it'd be temporary, but today, when I went to talk with my dad, he made it clear that we're not welcome. So, as I didn't had plans to stay for much long, I had been keeping money from you guys, which I know you all share among each other… I'm sorry. Loki and I bought some warm food-"

"Forget the rest," Clint's voice broke in the air. "let's just eat! I'm starving!"

In the midst of their dining, Tony got up quickly and walked to the backstage, bringing with him the two radio control cars.

"Wow," Bruce spoke, amazed. "do they work?"

"Oh yeah, I fix them this afternoon. It's like this, I let you and Loki borrow them. But you guys have to share it with me."

"Why?"

"'Cause I fixed them and they're mine!" Tony said like a little kid, that he somehow still is.

"Don't you think you're bit too old for those?" Loki asked him.

"Alright, we'll do it like this. You two challenge each other. The one who wins, races against me and then we'll see who's too old to play with these!"

"Yes, because you're sounding very mature, Stark." Natasha teased.

"Hush your mouth, pumpkin head!"

"What do we win if we defeat you?" Bruce asked, interested on Tony's proposition.

"Oh, you guys want to bet something? Okay, okay… Oh, if I win, I let you borrow the cars when you want. If you win, I give them to you."

Needless to say that Loki and Bruce united to defeat Tony and get the radio control cars for themselves.


	5. Memories from the past

**It took me some time to write this one. College and laziness take over me, but I did it and I'm already excited to write the next chapters. I'm coming to an end (only three chapters left and the prologue).**

**Hope you guys enjoy it. Perhaps this chapter could have turn a little better, but I don't think I wouldn't much more about it. **

**It features Steve and... Phillip Coulson! Yeah... **

**Enjoy it! :D**

* * *

_Home is where you don't need a shield to hide yourself _

Steve got up early in the morning and tried not to wake up anyone while he was changing clothing. He looked at his friends sleeping. Loki was hogging the blanket from his brother, making Thor trying to sleepily snatch Natasha's blanket, but she slapped him in her sleep and so he turned around and kept on snoring and sleeping. Bruce and Tony slept next to each other, back against back, the younger looking ridiculously small comparing to Tony. And then there was Clint, balled and wrapped up on his blanket like a bird on its nest.

He wears two identification tags around his neck. He took a look at the two. One of them was his father's, the other his mother's. Steve sighed and tucked them inside his shirt again. After rummaging his backpack, he grabbed something he hadn't given use in a while: his asthma inhaler. He put it in his jeans' pocket, zipped the coat, put on his stocking cap and walked out the theater. Autumn in New York isn't very pleasant.

He had a long way to walk and he was going on foot.

It would be a lonely walk even though the streets' are always full of people and cars and noise. Steve was too depressed to even care about whatever was going on around. It had been two years without his mother and five without his father. Today he grieved about his mother; it was the two year anniversary of her death and he was going to her grave.

When walking by a flower stall he stopped. His hand slipped into his pocket and he searched deeply only bringing some dust under his fingernails and three dollars in coins. It saddened him even more. The florist noticed his sadness.

"How much do you have, little man?"

Steve opened his hand and showed her. "Three dollars. It's worthless."

"I sell you one flower for $2, 50. Any one you like."

"A lily then." He said without even giving it a thought. "Mom always loved lilies."

The woman felt a grip in her heart. "Any color you would like?"

"The lilac one, please."

Steve was already counting the money but she closed his hand. "My offer. My sincere condolences, darling."

"Too late for that now." Steve said on the verge of crying. "It's been two years."

Steve continued his journey, carrying now the flower in his hand. He wasn't too far away from the cemetery but he was feeling tired already. He had been walking for about half an hour now, without having eaten and feeling so miserable that a wave of melancholy was taking over his body.

He sat on the sidewalk for a while. The sounds leaving his mouth were so raw, dry and distressing that made it seem like a thunderstorm was forming on Steve's chest. With trembling hands he grabbed his inhaler and breathed in those little droplets of aerosol. It tasted and felt foreign, like when he started using the inhaler for the first time.

When he was recovered he continued his journey. To his surprise, he found someone at his mother's tombstone. A beautiful and huge floral arrangement was laid on the grass before the gravestone. He smiled for the first time in that day. He knew that woman and he ran to her, tears already rushing down his face. He was so happy to finally seeing someone he actually knew.

"Mrs. Coulson." He screamed as he ran to the elder woman.

She turned around, still wearing that same affable and warming smile as he always remembered. Steve embraced his arms around her and cried. It was a mix of happiness and sadness.

The woman stroked his brownish hair, telling him. "Hello, my little Captain."

"Hello Mrs. Coulson." He wiped his tears, asking. "You brought these?"

"Yes," She looked at the flowers. "I did. She'd like them, wouldn't she?"

"Yes, she would."

"I dropped some at your father's too."

Steve showed her the lily he was holding. "I only had money for this one."

"It's more than enough, dear. You being here is more important than what you bring."

The two then stood quiet before the gravestone, which one of them remembering Sarah as they loved her the most.

Mrs. Coulson was the Rogers' neighbor for ever since Steve remembers. She was married to a military man who died on the Second World War. They had married at the age of 20 and she was widowed by the age of 21, having a young baby on her arms. Mrs. Coulson never married again and raised their son on her own. He grew up to be a good man. He got married and had a son, who happened to be Steve's best friend. Phillip used to spend many afternoons at his grandmother's and so the two kids played.

"Where have you been, love?" She asked him. "Where did you go? Everyone says you ran away…"

"I did. I have no home and no family and I wasn't very fond with having to live in orphanages."

"You'll always have a family; alive or deceased. And you have me, I consider you my grandson. And a home? Home is where you feel comfortable, where you feel you belong. You know that in my house you'll always be welcomed. It's not the same as it was with your parents, but it's something, right? And you have a friend who misses you really much. It's been two years already and he still asks for you every once in a while. "

"Phil still stays at your house for the afternoons?"

"Yes. Actually, today he's coming to lunch at my house and he doesn't have classes for the rest of the day. Would you like to come and spend a little while with him?"

"Can I just stay a little more? I still want to go to my father's grave too."

"Dear, take all the time you want."

Mrs. Coulson waited for him from afar. When he was done he returned to her with red and swollen eyes. The old woman put her hand over his shoulder and the two walked side by side to her house.

Steve helped Mrs. Coulson with the cooking of the lunch. When the sound of the door being opened was heard, Steve panicked. He was about to meet Phil again after two years.

"Hey, grandma." Phil spoke, dropping his schoolbag over the couch and leaning the skateboard against the wall. "Steve!?" He asked confused.

"Yeah… it's me." Steve stretched his hand at him, fearing that he'd not even speak a single word at him.

Phil greeted him with a handshake and a smile lit up his face. "Where have you been?"

The boy swallowed in dry and started composing his lie. "In the orphanage. It's far from here so… I didn't come around… I saw your grandmother at the cemetery and she invited me to spend the afternoon…"

"You're staying for the afternoon? Cool."

"Before any play time, please you two wash up your hands and come for lunch. Phil, lead him to the bathroom, please."

After the lunch, the two were more at ease again (at least Steve), just like the old times. They went to a wasteland to play catch. The sun was already setting in the skyline when they decided to return to Mrs. Coulson's. They were having a blast playing together and Steve was already anticipating how hard it'd be to walk away once again.

On their way back, they walked past by the house that once belonged to the Rogers'. Steve stopped and stared; small and few memories of his time living there came to his mind.

"A couple lives in there now. The woman's pregnant, almost having the baby. A girl, I think." Phil explained. "They moved in quite recently."

"It's good to know that at least the house will have another family in there." Steve spoke after drawing a heavy sigh.

The two stopped before Mrs. Coulson's house. "So, I guess this is goodbye?" Phil questioned.

"Yup… I better get going. The walk will take some time… I'll try to come over when I can."

"That'd be nice…"

The two were just standing there, awkwardly looking around. Neither of them wanted to walk away. Phil stretched his hand and Steve gave him a handshake and then walked away without even saying goodbye. It was easier like that.

* * *

The theater was the biggest hullabaloo, as always. Everyone was entertained, doing whatever they please the most. Steve smiled, running his eyes through everyone.

"Where have you been, Steve?" Tony asked, curious as usual.

"Doing some stuff. But I'm back now."

He sounded happy to announce that, joining the others. He realized what Mrs. Coulson told him about having a home. He belonged there, with those folks that he grew close with. It's where he feels comfortable and doesn't feel the need to hide from; they're friends and they understand him, even though that most of the times they seem like the most dysfunctional and uncoordinated people ever put together.

* * *

**Next chapter is about Clint, the seventh about Tony.**

**Leave a review telling me what you liked/not liked. Reviews make a writer work faster and unfortunately, for this fanfiction, that wasn't been my incentive... Many followers but no one willing to spare a minute for a simple review. Oh, well, I'm not complaining or begging, ok?**


	6. Of trusting and sharing

**Wow, Steve's chapter brought more followers. hahaha**

**Here's a chapter on Clint with a (little) bit of Natasha (no, really, it's already Clintasha only with them as kids) and Tony being a nosy as always.**

**Enjoy! xD**

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_Friends don't question your reasons_

Clint stood squatted on one of the theater boxes; his forearms sitting on the marble parapet and his chin resting over his arms. From there he sees everything and everyone. And sadly (and much mistaken) he realized that everyone was better off without him. He never really felt he belonged there. All the others have shattered lives and found on that theater and on the others a new sense of home. Even Thor and Loki were already understood that they were staying there.

But not Clint. He still wants to go back home. He still blames himself and holds anger inside for what had happened to his father. Sometimes he wishes he was locked up on a juvenile hall, paying for what he did wrong, but that thought never lasts long. There's something in each of them that he likes and that he'd miss.

He'd miss Tony's jokes (that are funny despite his, sometimes, excessive cockiness), Steve's sense of leadership and protectiveness, Bruce's company (even though he's the youngest, he's a good kid that gets along with everyone), he'd miss (a little) the prankish side of Loki, and hell, he'd even miss Thor's authority (he makes everyone get up early and is always pushing on the work). And he'd miss Natasha because she's Natasha and she means the world to him. He punches and kicks the others when they poke fun of him for having a crush on her, but he does have a big crush on that girl. She is his best friend and he trusts her with everything, which he knows it's reciprocal.

He stood up and quietly made his way out the theater. He was going to meet with Nick, who had just gone visiting his old friend in jail, who happened to be Clint's father.

"How is he, Nick?" Clint immediately asked as Fury showed up.

"He's okay, Clint. He doesn't want you to feel guilty, though."

"How can't I? I put him in there!" Fury gave him a sign with the head and the two started walking down the road. "Do you think he'll forgive me and want me back when he's released?"

"Yes and no." Clint got mad and stopped walking. Fury stopped a few steps ahead and looked back. Even though the boy was silent, he was demanding an explanation. "When he gets out you'll be around 21. Even if he gets commuted sentence, it will never be more that 2 years. You'll still be his son, but you'll be too old to live with him. He wouldn't ask you that and you wouldn't want it either."

"You're lying, Nick." The boy said very calmly, yet boiling inside. "You know you are."

"Believe all you want, Barton." Fury started to walk away. "I've never lied to you."

Clint filled his lungs with air and shouted. "You're a liar, I hate you all! I wish you were all dead!" The man turned around swiftly and Clint didn't fear him because he was too angry.

"Why are you saying that? You're the one who doesn't trust anyone; you're the one who doesn't feel fit in the group." Nick teased, trying to destabilize him. "If anyone was to die, it'd have to be you, don't you think?"

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't even born at all." He coldly confessed. "Sometimes I wish I had never gone that theater."

"Only sometimes? Why's that?"

"'Cause I grew closer to them over the time. I may not fully trust them, but it doesn't mean I don't care. But it's not like they trust me much either."

"Try sharing something about you."

By this time the two of them were walking again. "Why should I bother? They don't understand; they've all come from shattered homes and they don't know what it feels like to the responsible for its own loneliness."

"They don't know what it feels like, it's true, but it doesn't mean they won't understand. Take Odinson for instance; he had a family and a house. He could have stayed there, right?"

"But he loves his brother and it was his choice to leave."

"And what about Natasha?"

"What about her?"

"Her mother abandoned her to keep her safe. It was a choice, yes, but not a volunteer one, much like your father's choice." Clint looked away, focusing on the clouds of the sky. He slipped his hands on the jacket's pocket, mulling on that. "Share, Barton. You're not worthy of others' trust if you don't offer your trust as well."

* * *

It was late when Clint returned to the theater. They were all laughing and the two youngsters were playing, but they were all gathered close by. All of them had a blanket over their backs, as a way to keep a human heat flowing around.

"Good that you're all here." He said. Clint grabbed his bow and an arrow and extended his hand while holding them, speaking. "Do whatever you want to with it. You've always been curious to have it in your hands, so that this time to do so."

They were all dumbfounded and mute. Clint was offering them the chance to hold his bow and shoot one of the arrows?

"I think I'll pass." Tony broke the silence, speaking almost monosyllabically. "This is just an excuse for you to throw a punch or a kick!"

"Hold it, Stark!" Clint imposed his voice even though Tony's older than him. "I won't harm you."

"Clint," Natasha spoke softly. "it's alright. We understand why you don't want us to hold your bow and arrows and we respect it." She looked at the others who promptly nodded their heads, agreeing with what she said.

Natasha knew how hard it was for Clint to talk so openly about something like that. Only she knows is biggest secrets. When it was just him, Tony and Steve on the theater, Clint disappeared for many weeks and then returned. Fury thought he had gone back to the woods; he was still confused and it was all too recent for him. Truth is, that only Natasha knows, some Romanian Gypsies abducted Clint and kept him in their circus until he managed to run away.

"My dad taught me early how to shoot an arrow. We used to go animal hunting on the weekends, until the day I thought I could do it alone. I killed a man…" Clint let that though sink in and continued. "My dad was arrested trying to cover up my mistake. He told me all about how sensitive shooting an arrow is, how much strength is needed and yet how delicate a shot must be taken. I'm no master, but I know better than you about bows and arrows. That's why I don't want any of you picking it up; one inch can make all the difference between hitting a wall and killing someone."

"We didn't have to tell us all this." Thor said.

"I needed to. So you'd trust me, so I feel fit in."

"Ok," Tony spoke rather uncomfortable, sensing the more sentimental mood that was settling in. "I'm gonna grab us something to eat."

"I'll join you." Steve said, getting up too.

Loki started looking at his brother, doing the best puppy dog eyes he could. Thor sighed and said. "Ugh, just go with them. But behave brother!"

"Don't you worry," Tony affirmed, putting his hand over Loki's shoulder. "if he bothers me I hang him on a pole by his underwear!"

"I won't even comment." Steve sighed, starting to walk away.

Loki and Tony made their way to the outside by playfully pushing each other. Thor started playing with Bruce and Natasha got up and went to take a seat on the chairs of the arena.

"Hey, Thor," Clint shyly started. "if you had the chance to return home, would you want?"

"No. if my father loved me enough he'd never have let me run away."

Clint nodded and as Thor turned his attention to Bruce, he climbed down the stairs and made his to the audience. Natasha was gazing him with that look and with a smirk.

"A talk with Nick always works, uh?" Clint was confused and took a seat next to her. "Oh come on, I guess we've all have had one of those talks with Nick."

"If your mother would come back to take you, would you go?"

"I don't know… I think I'm better here now."

"If my dad would come back… I think I…"

Natasha offered him a warming smile, saying. "It's okay, birdie. I understand you'd want to go."

"I'd come to visit you…" Clint felt shy after saying that and immediately mended his sentence. "visit you guys…"

"You wouldn't dare not coming to visit, trust me." She playfully said, which made Clint laugh.

Slowly the two stopped laughing and noticed how closer they were standing. He sketched a nervous yet sweet smile and bit by bit got closer to her, trying to steal a peck from her.

"We brought hot-dogs," Tony spoke as he entered the theater. Clint pulled back and stuttered, looking around very nervously. "hurry up on eating, they're still warm!"

"We should eat." Finally Clint was able to pronounce a sentence.

He got up so fast that Natasha couldn't even give him an answer. Yet, she was left behind, laughing at how nervous Clint was. With his mouthful, he called from the stage. "Quit laughing, Romanoff and come eat." Natasha made her way to the stage, still in a fit of laughter.

Tony glanced between the two and promptly curious asked. "What did I miss?" Looking at how awkward Clint was, Tony laughed too and said. "Oh, I see, Barton. You know, to successfully steal a kiss from a girl" By this time Clint would have jumped over Tony already, but he was strangely understanding. "you've gotta do it when they're not waiting for it. You know, surprise kiss."

Little did Clint know that Tony's advice was going to be useful and effective in a very soon time.

"I promise not to laugh anymore, Hawkard. Sorry" Natasha said after chuckling. "I promise, birdie."

"It's okay… I was just… damn, I'm awkward, really!"

* * *

**This was it. Leave a review if you liked it. If you didn't, you can always leave a review too and tell me why you didn't like it.**

**Next chapters: seventh (Tony), eighth (Thor), ninth and last one (epilogue)**


	7. Panic Station

**I had the best of the fun writing this.**

**Hope you guys like it.**

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_Overconfidence hides deep fears_

New York's very busy at this time of the year. Christmas is coming sooner and the people's inflow on the streets increases majorly, but that isn't anything new for the New Yorkers. Tony squeezed between people and rushed along the streets, finally seeing the road before his eyes. He stretched his hand, hailing a cab. But, not just any cab.

"Hey there, Happy." He spoke as he climbed in the back seat.

"Hello, young man." The cab answered with the same joyful tone. "Same place as always?"

"Yeah." Tony told him.

Harold Hogan, or Happy as Tony nicknamed him, has known that boy for about two years now. He doesn't charge him the taxi fare whenever he climbs in the cab. Every two weeks on Saturday night he drives him to a gymnasium. Virginia's father (whose daughter he nicknamed Pepper for some reason) and his fellow coworkers have a small basketball team and they match other companies. He invites the boy to come along and watch and despite knowing where Tony lives he doesn't push him away or make Pepper ignore him as a friend.

* * *

During the game there's this one boy always shouting louder and occasionally misbehaving. When it was half-time break one of the players came to meet with the boy. Pepper had just got up to go to the bathroom and Tony was intrigued on the conversation between father and son.

"You're behavior is deplorable, Adrian." The man said. "If you're keep on doing this I'm not bringing you anymore. And I won't be buying any gift for Christmas." When the man gestured a little more, the boy flinched back. Tony froze too. "You're not being a good kid right now. Behave yourself, will you?"

After that, the man walked to his teammates and Tony eyed the boy. He looked around, to know if anyone had heard that. He found Tony's eyes staring him, but he understood how he was feeling. When he flinched back, he thought his father was going to slap him, something that Tony has experienced quite a few times. Adrian's father, much like him, wasn't the best one in the world.

And there was one sentence that stuck with him, even though his mind immediately evilly twisted because of his childhood fears. _You're not a good son…_

Tony shook his head and didn't give it much a thought anymore.

* * *

When Tony returned back to the theater he was exhausted and immediately lied down on his mattress. He wanted to fall asleep right away, and even though the others were considerate in being quieter but still they were loud. Tony realized then he'd have to run his mind to an exhaustion point so he'd fall asleep.

He started thinking about the good times he shares with Pepper. The two are good friends, occasionally she is his girlfriend and a bit more frequent they are rivals because they're both too stubborn. But all the memories lead to one single event. That night. That one sentence that stuck with him echoes in his mind.

Finally Tony fell asleep, lost in his favorite dream. The one where he is a genius billionaire superhero kid who builds armors and everybody loves.

_All the suits are standing there. Thirty of them; the armors he built for the US military, Air Force and Marines. They await him for the presentation. _

_The big arena was ready for him. Everyone was overexcited for the young genius to show up. Tony straightens his suit and nods his head, satisfied with what he sees from afar. It's time._

_Tony spreads both his arms and legs and adopts a relaxed posture, letting the machines put the armor on him. People wait for the Iron Kid. _

"_All done." He speaks, taking a deep breath as he's tucked inside his titanium armor._

_The jets situated in the boots and the repulsors situated in the gauntlets fuel up and soon he's up in the air, flying to the arena. He abruptly lands with his back turned to the audience, almost kneeling on the floor but sustaining the weight of his body and suit by pressing his fingertips on the floor._

_People cheer. Confetti burst and slowly fall on the ground. Lights and smoke make environment even more vibrant. Ballerinas, wearing short attires with the colors of the American flag, dance to the loud and bombastic music. _

_In the same way the suit was put on him, it's also removed. Young Tony then opens his arms and shakes his head, enjoying the sound of the applause and whistles. Everything is perfect._

"_I'm the best." He whispers._

"Tony!" Thor shook him once more.

The boy was detached from himself and the reality, suffering from what's called depersonalization and de-realization. Tony felt his body being shaken once more.

_The cheers stop and so do the applauses. Suddenly everyone is booing him and he swallows in dry, fearfully walking back. Everything starts spinning around, bright lights obfuscate him and he feels like he's going to faint._

"Somebody call Nick, fast." Natasha yelled, kneeling next to Tony. Bruce and Loki run out the theater, going to call Fury.

Thor was still trying to aid him but he seems to be delusional, forcefully trying to get up as Thor held him down. He was sweating, breathing heavily, his cheeks colored in a red tone, as red as blood; he was probably feverish, having some sort of attack.

_His heart is beating fast and he shakes. He cannot believe his eyes. "You're not a good son." His father speaks from the midst of the crowd. _

"No!" Tony shouted, getting up fast. No one can hold him still. "You're dead, you're dead!"

"_You were never a good son." His mother reinforces. _

"Mother, don't say that." He cried.

_Tony breaths heavily as he sees somebody else. He cannot believe his eyes. He feels like he's being smothered. He feels weak and helpless._

"_I'm here to finish you, Stark."_

"No! You're not real!" Tony continued to chase after ghosts, running around in the theater. "You're in jail."

Steve tried to get hold of him, but as soon as he grasped his arm, Tony rebelled and pushed him. His eyes darkened with fear and anger as he's still trapped between his delusional world and the present world.

"Tony, you're gonna be okay." Natasha spoke softly, trying not to startle him even more.

"I'm not insane!" He shouted, still running around.

This time it was Clint who tried to grabbed him so they could calm him down, but, much like the other attempts, he was not successful.

_Stane walks to him, making Tony walk back more and more until he stumbles. Sitting on the floor and seeing that Stane wouldn't stop coming closer, Tony starts to crawl backwards as fast as he can._

"Get back!" The boy's loud scream echoed on the whole room. "You're not gonna kill me."

_Hot flashes run his entire body as he realizes there's nowhere to run. Tony can't breathe anymore. He's wheezing, having Stane two feet away from him._

Tony started yelling, collapsing on the floor. At that moment Fury rushed in through the door, running immediately to him. He grabbed Tony strongly by his forearms and forced him to stand up, but he didn't have strength to hold himself on his legs.

Fury shook him. "Get yourself together, Stark!"

"You're gonna kill me…" He mumbled, tears rushing down his face. "You're gonna kill me…"

"All of you," Fury spoke, looking at the others, skeptical and scared staring at Tony's pitiful behavior. "leave. Now!" He raised his voice since no one was following his order.

From outside the theater they listen to Tony yelling and crying, something scary for them. They're so used to him so playful and cocky and now he was succumbing to a dreadful thought haunting his soul.

After some minutes there's silence.

Fury walked out and was not to speak a single word until Bruce asked him, perhaps more scared than any other. "What happened to Tony?"

"He had a panic attack." He briefly informed. "He's getting better; do not talk to him. Let him be alone."

The six entered the theater, finding Tony lying down on his mattress, wrapped on his blanket. His breath was still troubled and he was shaking like a leaf on the wind.

"Brucie, don't." Natasha spoke in a low voice as the youngest started walking up to the stage.

Bruce lied down on his mattress (that actually happens to be the one on the left Tony's) and whispered. "It's gonna be okay, Tony. I used to get this scared too but they won't hurt us anymore."

"I-I know, bu-bud." Tony stammered.

At the same time the two shut their eyes and tried to have a dreamless night of sleep.

* * *

Tony awoke up in the morning recovered from last night's panic attack. Yet, everyone was eyeing differently, pitiful of him. _Hop on the Tony's mockery train while there's still room on board_ was all he said to them. They all understood it'd be better to mock him; it was what he wanted, so they'd never talk about it. So they all got a turn to mock him (Clint pocked fun of him three times though) and they all had fun with it, even Tony. Still, the only one who didn't find it funny was Tony's (adopted) little brother, Bruce who stood in front of him, saying the others were being mean for mocking him.

* * *

**Alright, I had a ball writing this chapter but it isn't much original. It portraits something that has happened on Iron Man 3, but still, it's something I wrote and it's different from the movie scene!**

**Leave a review, it'd be a good Christmas gift! ^_^**

**P.S.: Chapter title came from a Muse's song...**


	8. A little 'word' told me

**This chapter was giving me an headache but I finally managed to come up with something. May not (and I know it's not) the best chapter, but it's all I can do. **

* * *

_Patience is a gift_

Six of Fury's prodigal kids were busy counting money. As Christmas was just around the corner, it was the week before the holyday in fact; it was expected for them to gather money.

"I've got $10." Bruce said, showing his money.

It was predictable that he'd get most of the money; he's one of the youngest, he more easily gets handed money.

Loki put his money over Bruce's money and announced. "I got $8."

Also no surprise. Then Tony and Steve threw to the pile their earnings, $3 each. Natasha got (about, as she said throwing the money) $4,5 and then there was still Clint meticulously counting the money.

"$1,53!" He said very triumphant, even though he was the one who got the less money.

Thor walked in and Tony promptly asked him. "So, big guy, we've got so far" He counted the money and continued. "$30,03. How much do you have to add?"

The oldest of the group sighed and turned in the money he had in his pocket. "I have $32."

Everyone stared him wide opened. Thor himself got more alone than all of their money put together.

"How did you pull it off?" Steve asked curious. "Did you rob people?"

"No. I worked my ass off to earn it, but I'm not telling what I was doing or why."

"You worked?" Clint asked incredulous and mocked him. "Doing what? Modeling for Victoria's Secret?"

"Ooh, _Vic-Thor-ia's Secret_!" Tony immediately came up with a pun and he didn't seem ready to stop just with one joke.

"Congratulations, birdie," Clint fumed with that one; he only lets Natasha call him like that because the others just ridicule him. "now Tony won't shut up!"

"Ok, come on," Tony insisted. "tell me what is your work? Are you advertising for _Th'oreál_?"

"Oh for God sakes." Natasha mumbled and found herself a seat on the arena.

Tony would bug him with all kinds of jokes and Thor was the most patient of all of them, excluding Bruce who adores Tony, and Steve who seems to have figured out how to deal with Stark.

"Oh, I know, you were playing _Termina-thor_! I am Thor Odinson." He kept on mocking Thor, imitating a robot voice.

"This is your fault, Barton!" Thor raised a little his voice while pointing at Clint who had found a seat next to Steve and Natasha.

Soon the two youngsters came to sit on the arena too. It was quite a show and they were ready to see Thor explode.

"Ok, maybe it'd be easier for me to guess if you'd tell me which days you work."

"I'm not telling you anything, Stark." Thor said, starting to get annoyed as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Do you work on Mondays? _Thor-sdays_? Wednesdays?" Tony crossed his arms too, determined to see the calm boy lose his temper. He'd probably end up with the nose broken, but it'd be worth. "Ok, perhaps you just work on Sundays because you're a _Pas-thor_. No? It's an everyday job, uh? _Thor-guide_?"

"How could he be a _thor-guide_ in New York?" Steve spoke. "He's from Albany!"

Tony laughed and high-fived his friend. Thor fired him an angry glare; everyone was joining him. "You know what he'd never be either, Capt? An _invertiga-thor_!"

"I think he'd be more suited for a _baby sit-thor_." Natasha spoke, taking the opportunity to mock Thor a little too. "Really, Stark, it requires some patience to endure you!"

It took Tony some more minutes to come up with his final three puns: doc-thor, _decora-thor_ and _jani-thor_. Upon Tony saying that last one, Loki ran to his brother and stopped him from breaking Tony's nose in the spot. He had teased him so much, why did he flip about _jani-thor_?

Thor got loose from his brother's hold and walked out the theater, visibly upset.

"What the…?"

"_Jani-thor_ sounded like Jane." Loki explained.

Steve got up faster than the others and walked to the young boy. "You know what's going on…"

Loki sighed and decided to tell everyone. "He was working to buy Jane a gift for Christmas."

"Who the hell is Jane?" Clint asked, shooting arrows at the wall. He was weak about those things; he hated when one of them would walk out the door so mad. Right now, he just wanted to punch Tony in the face.

"Uh… I dunno… She's not his girlfriend, but… She and Thor used to be together all the time when we lived in Albany. He wanted to send her a gift, that's why he'd been working at the _shawarma_ joint two blocks from here."

Tony immediately acknowledged his mistake. He grabbed all the money and ran to look for Thor. He understood how he must be feeling. If he was away from Pepper he'd want to buy her something too.

Tony found Thor outside, walking from side to side. When he saw him, he yelled. "Get back, Stark, or I punch you in the face!"

The boy offered him the money. "It was not right of me, but you have known better by now that you can't keep secrets from us. Especially from me, I'm a pain in the ass!"

"Loki!" Thor grumbled, wanting now to hit his brother.

"No." Tony stopped him. "He did the best in telling us. Go on and buy her something nice."

"Why are you doing this? To piss me off later?"

"If Pepper was away he'd be doing the same thing." Tony put the money on Thor's hands and pushed him away. "Go and buy her something. After that, you're gonna take me to that _shawarma_ restaurant you work. I've always wanted to try that. Is it good?"

"The best! It's really like the best thing I've ever ate!"

"You're not the best example to give food reviews. You eat too much of pretty much everything. You eat like an animal, and I don't mean to insult the poor things! You're like an _aliga-thor_!"

"I'm gonna take you to try it, it'll be on the house." Suddenly Thor had forgotten all about the argument; when it comes to food everything else is alright. "But just you, uh?"

* * *

******The chapter's title also features a pun. It should be "a little bird told me"**

******Did you like it? Leave me a review then; there's only one more chapter left... :(**


	9. Epilogue

**This was perhaps my favorite chapter to write. It's all kinds of funny and sweet. **

**Hope you guys enjoy it; it's the last one.**

**I'm starting a new fanfiction for the Avengers, if you're interested, give it a read.**

* * *

_Every good action has a compensatory reward_

It was the Christmas' morning. One after another the seven kids awoke up, and soon they noticed that _their_ Saint Nick had left some gifts. It was mostly clothing and they wouldn't care about it much. They never do; they only get rid of pants, shirts and sneakers when they have enough holes.

But, soon they all find out that Nick Fury had left them another gift. Under their pillows each had some money and a little paper with an address written on it. Bruce and Tony's were the same, so were Thor and Loki's and Natasha and Clint's. Steve was the only one who had a different address and was going alone; but he knew very well which address was that.

And so the seven left only to be back by the end of the day. They were all going to somewhere special to them.

* * *

Tony and Bruce walked the streets of New York hand in hand. The youngster jumped and hopped all the way until they hailed a cab. They presented the cabbie the paper for him to drive them there. It was a book shop they knew by now, but they've never been there. It wasn't a long ride and the man parked the cab across the street of the shop. Tony paid him and the two left the cab, staring at the old building front before their eyes. Two big glassed windows were placed on each side of the small and worn-out brown door. Its white-ish blinds were drawn, so they couldn't have a sight of its inside before they entered. They crossed the street and Bruce fearlessly and firstly opened the door. A small bell rang upon the opening of the door and Bruce looked up, seeing the bell still clanging.

The amount of books and knowledge present there left the two brainy kids excited and jaw dropped. It was a small sample of what the New York Public Library is, but the book shop had the extra bonus; they could buy books. Tony doesn't get to go to the library as often as Bruce. Steve usually takes the little one there to help him with the reading.

Once they entered they parted ways. Tony made his way to the back of the shop, being guided by the sign saying "school books". He was to be found looking through mathematics and engineering books. Tony was fascinated, frenetically flipping through pages and pages of the books, theoretically understanding things he only seen working on practical performances and learning new things. Bruce had followed him, being attracted by the books related to astronomy and physics, but soon the young kid of six of age grew tired of only looking through pictures and reading stuttering text. He decided to find an easier book to read; astronomy and physics books would be useful and more appealing one day later, not now.

Tony seemed to finally awake up from the trance and decided to look for Bruce. He found him sitting on a dusty step of the staircase of the book shop, with a book open on his lap. The owner of the book shop, an old man with the glasses on the tip of the nose, watched him from behind the counter. Tony took a seat next to Bruce and peered to see what he was reading. It was a rather thick book, with 100 some pages filled with small fables.

Bruce picked up the book and gestured for Tony to hold it. "Read for me. I know I should practice reading, but it's tiring to read between stutters."

Tony nodded his head. Holding the pages with one hand he turned the book to read its title _Bedtime Stories_. He flipped the book back to the page Bruce was reading. He read the title first. "_The Ant and the Grasshopper_." And then he cleared his throat and started narrating. "In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest. "Why not come-"

"Do the voices, please."

Tony sighed and quickly glanced the old man behind the counter. He was smiling, seeing those two that he believed being brothers. The boy swallowed and spoke on a high pitched voice. "Why not come and chat with me, instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

Bruce asked him to keep on reading him more and more stories. By the fourth one the little boy already had his head leaning on Tony's shoulder. He peeped over his shoulder, noticing that Bruce was sleeping. He closed the book and realized it was time to go back to the theater.

_Out of college, money spent/ See no future, pay no rent_

Tony wanted to use the money to buy a book about engineering. There was just so much in that that he could use to improve his skills and then he thought of Bruce who also loved books as much as him, and was as smart as he was, but he couldn't read properly yet and it'd be quite a waste because he's just six-years-old and doesn't have a mind set on what he wants to be in the future. And then Tony looked at the book he was holding. He rummaged through his pocket for the money that was he supposed to pay the taxi fare, picked up Bruce in arms and walked to the counter.

"We're taking this book." Tony said to the old man, putting over the counter the _Bedtime Stories_ book.

The old man registered the barcode and told him. "$17,50, please."

Tony placed the money over the counter and the old man handed him the change. When he looked at the money he received he noticed it wouldn't be enough for a taxi fare so he'd have to walk back to the theater, carrying Bruce in arms and the book too. Needless to say that Tony arrived the theater extremely tired. He laid the boy on his mattress, put the book next to him and then fell back, recovering his breath and his strengths. It didn't take much for Tony to fall asleep for a while too. He awoke up with some background noise. He lifted up his head and he realized almost everybody else was on the theater and that he was the only one sleeping by now.

* * *

Nick Fury decided to be a little more generous to the two brothers, giving them some extra money. It was going to be their first Christmas alone and so he wanted them to create new memories of what future Christmases will be like, just the two of them.

_But oh, that magic feeling/ Nowhere to go_

He gave them the address to a shopping mall. Loki and Thor ran the mall twice, looking here and there, stuffing up with candies that they were buying. It was all very nice until Thor remembered why family trips to mall weren't so nice… especially if a pet store was nearby.

"Can we get a pet?" Loki asked.

"No."

"A dog, please. It doesn't have to be too big!"

"Do you think we can afford having a dog?"

"Alright," Loki said defeated, but having convinced. "how about a cat then?"

"It will be gone within a week. You know cats aren't pets that stick around very much. And even less sticking around people like you who'd beat up the poor thing!"

"Let's get a horse then!"

"Oh my…" Thor sighed. "First, how do we get a horse here? And second, where the hell would we keep the horse? Think smaller."

"A pony?"

Thor insisted. "Smaller!"

"A mini-pony?" Loki said looking very innocent.

"Alright, I admit giving you a pet would be nice to develop your responsibility sense. What if we get a fish?"

"Ugh," Loki sighed in competent. "that's a dull creature!"

Thor laughed at his brother's vocabulary choice and proposed something else. "How about a hamster?"

Loki's eyes sparkled with excitement and his chest filled up with air. His mouth was open in awe and he was utterly happy. "Yes, that's it! A hamster!" And then he started hopping and dancing in the middle of the mall, singing. "I'm gonna get a hamster!"

By the end of the day the two of them were near a stomach ache because of all the candy they ate. Yet Loki was hyperactive, playing with his ("toy") hamster (that he carried around in his pocket) already testing the (im) mortality of the poor animal.

* * *

Steve was apprehensive but his finger was already pressing the doorbell. Mrs. Coulson opened the door and her face lit up. She immediately pulled him inside and guided him to the living room where all her family was hanging out, some still having late breakfast, others already waiting for lunch. The two friends smiled when they saw each other and they hugged without any embarrassment. They wished Merry Christmas to one another and they sat on the floor with some of Phil's cousins, taking turns in playing videogames. Steve vaguely remembered some of those people in that room.

"I've gotta tell you something, Phil." Steve spoke. "I lied to you." Phil turned his head to listen to him. "I don't live in an orphanage. I've only been there I think two or three months, then I ran away."

"Where do you live then?"

"I was hoping I could show you later… if you want to come and you're not mad at me…"

"I… How bad it is to live in an orphanage?"

"Really, really bad. That's why I ran away. Do you understand?"

"Kind of. I've never been in that situation, and I don't wanna be, but I can understand."

"So, we're cool?"

Phil, who was about to toss the dice, looked at him and smiled. "After lunch you're taking me there."

"Yeah, but we have to go on foot. I don't have much money for cab. Either that or you pay the fare!"

"You're a deadbeat; you still owe me 5 packs of trading cards and 20 chewing gums from our bet!"

"And the Chewie action figure." Phil looked at him, dumbfounded, clearly remembering the bet now, and Steve squirmed and grinned. "I shouldn't have reminded you of that!"

_Soon we'll be away from here/ Step on the gas and wipe that tear away _

* * *

It seemed kind of mocking that Natasha and Clint left a theater to go to another theater, but there they were, lying face down on the tension grid above the stage, attentively watching the performance of the ballet company. Back in Russia, Natasha used to dance ballet when she was little, really little as she told him; she was about three or four of age when she started dancing, and she always loved it. Nick explained them the way to discreetly go up the tension grid, and since it was a dance performance, it didn't require any technical change, so there wouldn't be any personnel up there. Just the two of them.

Clint watched and smile as Natasha attentively watched the ballerinas dancing below them. She really loved dancing. Her head bobbed to the sound of the music, her feet would scrap the grid, trying to reproduce and follow the dance steps performed by the ballerinas.

"Did you dress up like them?" Clint asked curious.

"Yes, just like that. All in pink, with a tutu, the flat shoes and the maillot and my hair was tied up so tightly in a bun that when I'd let the hair down, my head would be a tad sore. I remember my mother putting so many bobby pins in my head to gather some little strands of my hair that I felt like a bomb with all those hair pins."

Clint had this enormous smile on his face, much like Natasha. She was happy to tell her memories and he was delighted in listening to her. He didn't know what that feeling was, but he loved it.

"Dance for me…?" He shyly asked.

Her cheeks turned a little red and she made up an excuse, looking down at the stage. "It's been years since I've danced. I don't remember half of-"

Clint got up on his feet while she was talking. When she realized he wasn't lying down next to her, she raised her look. He went down on one knee and stretched his hand at her. "Then dance _with_ me."

Natasha smiled broadly and held his hand. Clint's body trembled and he breathed thoroughly, pulling her close. "Can you dance?"

"I'll do my best." He said almost breathlessly, having his breath caught in his throat.

With each step he became more and more confident. He always kept her close, until she was so close that he leaned in and pressed his lips on hers.

_One sweet dream/ Came true today_

He didn't know what else to do, he had never kissed a girl before, neither had she kissed a boy before. The two had their cheeks burning and for a little avoided looking at each other, yet still dancing with a shy smile on the lips. He let go one of her hands and made her spin around herself. When she looked at his face again they were both smiling. She slightly tiptoed and pecked his lips.

The two of them were over the moon and they only left when the last person left the theater.

* * *

The seven kids were at the theater and they got to meet Steve's old friend, Phil. They all though he was really nice and they invited him to come over whenever he wanted. They ended up spending most of the afternoon there, just the eight of them, until Phil had to leave. It wasn't hard saying goodbye anymore; he'd be coming back more times.

Fury took a peek at his seven kids, having fun on the last hours of Christmas day. He was doing a good job. No matter what they do, nobody even think about messing with one of them unless of course they want to suffer a little...

_1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, all good children go to Heaven_

**THE END**

* * *

**Song pieces: "You Never Give Me Your Money" by The Beatles.**

**Leave a review, and if possible come and read my new fanfiction.**


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